• Photo of Bishop Dwane BrockBishop Dwane Brock

    Bishop Dwane Brock, leader of Victory Christian Center in Erie, is a builder and connector at heart. In November 2021, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of his Eagle's Nest Leadership Corporation,an organization that provides educational and career development. He remains the chief executive of Eagle's Nest and also continues to host financial literacy classes and the Eagle's Nest African-American Boys Academy, a summer program.

    At the start of the 2019-2020 school year, Brock and the district partnered to launch the Eagle's Nest Program of Academic Distinction, a unique and innovative program that emphasizes civility and character development and offers students a specialized, Afrocentric curriculum. Students study English/language arts, math, science and social studies, but do so as part of a broader exploration of African heritage and cultures and the African-American experience throughout history.

    Brock said the program will teach students to succeed in and out of the classroom by paring them with individual mentors and by creating a culture of respect and civility, in addition to the focus on academics.

    “There is a spirit of productivity, a sense of pride and self-esteem, that has to be awakened in every child,” Brock said. “Every child has a motivational point and it is our responsibility to find that point and mold them into champions.”

    Photo: Erie Times-News/GoErie.com